US DoT: Car-to-car communication is coming sooner

U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced steps to accelerate the use of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications technologies in America's vehicles and highways.

Aimed at speeding demonstrated life-saving innovations to market, the steps include accelerating the schedule for requiring V2V devices in new vehicles, developing an expedited test plan on interference with V2V signals, and modernizing the Department's regulatory structure. Secretary Foxx also pledged to work with the auto industry and technology companies to help ensure that vehicle automation technologies with demonstrated safety benefits come to market.

"The Department wants to speed the nation toward an era when vehicle safety isn’t just about surviving crashes; it's about avoiding them," Secretary Foxx said. "Connected, automated vehicles that can sense the environment around them and communicate with other vehicles and with infrastructure have the potential to revolutionize road safety and save thousands of lives."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had originally planned to send proposed rules to require V2V equipment in new vehicles to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review in 2016. Under the new plans however, the timetable for sending the proposal for OMB review has been moved up to the end of this year.

The Department also committed to completing a preliminary test plan on interference with V2V signals within 12 months after production-ready devices become available for testing. The purpose of the testing would be to help determine whether the 5.9-GHz spectrum reserved for V2V communications can be shared with unlicensed users, an issue that also involves Congress and the FCC.

Finally, the Department is tasked with identifying obstacles in its current regulatory framework that could impede the development and roll-out of safety innovations. The Secretary made the announcement in California at Delphi Labs @ Silicon Valley - Delphi Auto's Mountain View lab - while on tour to promote " Infrastructure Week " and funding for transportation.